Reinforced concrete.



P. THUN. REINFORGED CONCRETE.

APPLICATION FILED OGTVZZL, 1907.

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inarrnn stares rar ernten rnnniNaNn THUN, or READING, PENNSYLVANIA.

RENFORCED CONCRETE.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Application led October 21, 190;?. Serial No. 398,440.

To all whom it may concern.'

Bc it known that I, FERDINAND THUN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Reading, in the county of Berks and State of Pennsylvania, have in-v vented certain new and useful Improveinents in Reinforced Concrete, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates particularly to reinforced concrete constructions, and. my objects are nto provide for `securing a satisfactorily permanent and effective union of the reinforcing material with the applied plastic material, and for producing reinforced concrete members of varying sizes andshapes in a simple and economical inanner. To this end l employ in 'combination with concrete covering, a suitable reinforc-` ing material made up in the form of a braided fabric Which is adapted to greatly strengthen the composite structure when embedded'in the concrete covering so that distortion of its form or loosening of its union with the covering cannot occur Without first crushing the concrete Whiclbllsits interstices and which is also capable, when desiree, of being adjusted as to size and shape as required for different purposes, preliminary to applying the concrete covering to form the completed structure.

The invention is fully described in con-' nection with the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the claims.

Figure l illustrates my invention as' applied to constructions of circulaicross-section, the reinforcing material being shown of tubular form adjusted in diameter and in axial alinement to the required shape. Fig. 2 is a cross-sectional View of a rectangular concrete beam illustrating a modified embodiment of my invention, the reinforcing material being of iattened-tubulaif form adjusted to the shape and size of the Fig. 3 illustrates in plan view abeam. modification of my invention comprising a fiat-braided reinforcement adapted by stretching and edgeivise curvature to the differing Widths and form of an irregularly shaped concrete slab; and Fig. L is a cross-sectionalview of the same. Fig. 5 indicates a. further modification in which the reinforcement is employed in the form of a tubular-braided cable the interlaced strands of Which are immovably united with the concrete covering.

The advantages of concrete as a stru'ci n the strands are interloclred by the. crossing angles irregularly .oiisly provided in the l cre sing the strength oit-'thereinforcement;l

tural material andl itsadaptability to a. greater variety of purposes when reinforced by a material of greater tensile strength in such. manner as to effectively utilize the great compression strength of the concrete, is well understood; and many structures of this character have been devised in which the reinfercement must be especially adapted to practically each particular shape and size of linished structure to be produced. I have found that such lack of adjiistability in the size and form of the reinforcement is a great hindrance to the prompt and econoinical production of `effectively reinforced concrete structures; and further that it is difficult to secure proper and permanent union, under varying conditions, of the reinforcement With the concrete. n seeking to overcome these disadvantages I have discovered that a Wire reinforcement in which passing them alternately over and under cach other, as

` eifectedin ordinary braiding operations, not

only permits of great adjustability of the vnormal size and shape of the wire fabric Where this is desired, owing to the fact that of the strands may be readily varied to suit the requirements; but also that in such a braided reinforcement, the union which is effected with the concrete covering when lthe inteistices of the braid are filled by the concrete, loosened,.or the strength of, the structure materially affected even by defective strands thus interbraided and combined.

The drawings illustrate the application of my invention to several fori-'ns of concrete structures having braided-wire fabric reinforcements. InFig. l this fabric A is repis not apt to be resented as a tubular braid, the normally uniform diameter of which has been changed by relative lengthwise extension or contraction, to conform respectively with the reduced upper portion, the larger middle portion, and thecurved lowev'fportion of the shaped tubularstructure shown;-the crossing anglesof the braided Wires and the dimensions of the interstices being. of course changed 'correspondingly with the extension or. contraction of the length of the fabric, but said interstices be ing in all cases tightly packed with the concrete material B in completing the structure. VVarps, indicated at C, may be advantagebraided fabric for in- 'Patent-eti Nov. e, iena".

and the warpifabric may be conveniently shaped, 4when desired, by using' .the warp' threadsas pull strings, and the shape thus produced may be retained by 'thereafter suitably locking the warps, preliminary to applyinei the concrete covering; orthe requiredsiape of the fabric, as adapted to a particular purpose, may be votherwise retained by suitable anchoring or tying means,

so as tofacilitate the application of the-concrete covering thereto. The hardening of .the latter of course ultimately insures a rigid composite structure, in which the fiill tensile strength `of the reinforcement and compression strength vof the concrete are most effectively and permanently combined, Without danger of harmful loosening of the braided' reinforcement, such asl is liable to occur with inherently rigid reinforcements,I

due to unequal contraction and. expansion under changing. temperatures Yor like causes. Inasinuch as the structure of the braided fabric permits of its being considerably ilaried in shape and size by merely changing the crossing angles of the loosely' crosse wires7 a given sizeof such fabric may be utilized for quite a wide range of work, while providing in all cases a frame work vwhich, when its interstices er openings are umns or pipes of various sizes and shapes,

as indicated in F ig. l, but is also applicable to rectangular beams for instance, asy indicated. in liig. 2, by merely flattening the tubular braid A as indicated; the width being variable as in the Fig. l construction, by

stretching or compactin'g the fabric lengthwise as required, and the adjusted form being rigidly fixed by the concrete covering applied to it and4 solidly .lling its inter# stices. ln the case ef thin slabs or the like requiring only a single line' of reinforcement, as indicated in cross section in F ig. 4f, a flat braided fabric A maybe employed in the saine manner as the tubular braided fabric of Figs'. l and 2; this fiat braid rein.

lforcement being similarly adjusted in Width and capable of edgewise curvature as indicated in F ig. li, to adapt it to the required shape of the finished structure; and the latter effectively combining'the tensile strength of the r'inforceinent and tlie-coinpressi0n it is'lrigidly embedded. ,ln the simple construction indicatedin Fig. 5, where the braided reinforcement is'shown in the form of a tubular-braided cable A2 arranged Ain seater is pxroduccd because of the intimate union wit the concrete, Awhich latter closely fills every interstice and bendof the interlaced strands so as to unite the two inaterialsin a peculiarly effective' manner.

The' warps C may be employed whenever desired for additional strength or convenience of adjustment, without interfering with the adjustability of tlie reinforcement to the particular form of the nished structure.

The size and form ofwire employed in the braided reinforcement, as also its diam -eter or width. and looseness of texture, are

limited only by the braiding mechanism provided to produce it,`and my invention is therefore applicable to the construction of concrete members of great variety in size as well as form.

What claim is n 1. A reinforced structure of concrete or the like comprising a braided wirefabric provided with interwoven Warp wires adapted to control extension of the fabric and concrete covering therefor filling the interstices of the fabric.

2. A reinforced structure `of concrete or the like comprising a braided wire fabric provided with .interwoven warp wires and adjustable in width by lengthwise strctching or contraction upon said warp wires, and concrete covering therefor iilling the interstices of the adjusted fabric.

A reinforced structure of concrete or the like comprising a loosely braided tubular fabric of wire or the like provided with interwovbn warp Wires and Vadjustable in width by lengthwise stretching er contraetion upon said warp wires and concrete cov,.- ering therefor filling the interstices of the adjusted fabric.

Il. A reinforced structure of concrete or the like comprising a looseiy braided wire fabric provided with interwoven warp wires and having a portion thereof to one side of its longitudinal cent-er line extended by stretching and an opposite portion' contracted upon an interwoven warp'wire to thereby form a bend. i

A reinforced structure of concrete or the like comprising a loosely braided wire fabric provided with interwoven warp wires and having a portion thereof te one side of its .longitudinal center line extended by stretching and an opposite portion conllO thereby form a bend, and concrete covering for said shaped fabric filling the interstices Strength of the concrete covering in which' thereof.

.6. A reinforced structure of concrete or the like comprising a loosely braided Wire fabric provided with interwoven warp wires and having a portion thereof to one side of its longitudinal center line extended by contracted u'pon. another interwoven Werp contracted upon another interwoven Warp Wire to thereby form a bend, and concrete Wire to thereby form a bend. covering for said shaped fabric filling the 7.' A reinforced structure of concrete or interstices thereof. the like comprising a loosely braided lWire In testimony whereof, l aix my signe 15 fabric provided With interwoven Warp Wire ture7 in the presence or" two Witnesses. and having a portion thereof to one side of FERDINAND THUN. its longitudinal center line extended by Witnesses: stretching the braided Wires upon an inter- D. M. STEWART, '1o Woven Warp Wire and an opposite portion `W. G. STEWART.

Woven Warp Wire and anopposite portion 

